A Travel Price Comparison for Families, Couples, and Backpackers Saint-Etienne vs. La Spezia for Food, Couples, Backpackers, and Attractions

Should you visit Saint-Etienne or La Spezia?

Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?

Which city should you visit? Read on to compare the activities as well as the prices of travel for Saint-Etienne and La Spezia. We'll break down costs for accommodation, food, transportation and more to help you learn more about these two destinations. Then, you can figure out if either of these two places are accessible based on your travel budget, schedule, and interests. So, let's dig into it.

Saint-Etienne

Saint-Etienne is a authentic, historic, and park-filled city. It's a beautiful place to visit, too. Visitors also love the hiking, museums, and nightlife.

La Spezia

La Spezia is a cultural, lively, and convenient town. Visitors also love the shopping, nightlife, and food.

Saint-Etienne and La Spezia: Pros and Cons

Is there more to do in Saint-Etienne or La Spezia?

Visitors will generally find more to do in La Spezia than Saint-Etienne. While Saint-Etienne is larger than La Spezia, La Spezia has more sights, attractions, and activities for tourists. La Spezia is better known for its food, beaches, historical sights, and shopping, while Saint-Etienne is more popular for its museums, hiking, and impressive beauty. La Spezia is more touristy than Saint-Etienne and is known for being the gateway to Cinque Terre. Also, La Spezia is famous for The Maritime Museum. Saint-Etienne is well known for its industrial and manufacturing past.

How is Saint-Etienne different from La Spezia?

Which is Better for a Holiday?

Let's take a look at the differences and similarities between La Spezia and Saint-Etienne. Then, you can decide for yourself which place is better for your next trip.

Are the Museums and Historical Sights Better in Saint-Etienne or La Spezia?

Saint-Etienne is a good destination for its museums and history. However, La Spezia is lacking in good options for its museums and landmarks.

Saint-Etienne offers a variety of museums and landmarks to choose from. There are several great museums in town including the Musée d'Art et d'Industrie, Musée de la Mine, Musée des Verts, and the planetarium.

La Spezia offers a handful of options for museums and historical sights. The highlight of the area is the surrounding natural beauty, but in town you can visit the Maritime Museum, The castle of San Giorgio, and The Amedeo Lia Art Museum.

Is the Food Better in Saint-Etienne or La Spezia? Which Destination has the Best Restaurants?

La Spezia is great for its local flavors and cuisine. However, Saint-Etienne is not a good destination for its local cuisine and restaurants.

La Spezia has a huge number of terrific restaurants. The town has many local flavors that incorporate seafood and other local ingredients. Focaccia is popular, as is Farinata, which is a chickpea flour pancake. Anchovies and mussels are also common ingredients.

Saint-Etienne may not make the list for most foodies, but you'll find what you need while you're in town. Try the many local cheeses which are a defining part of the cuisine in the area. You'll find some local restaurants around town where you can sample local flavors.

Is Saint-Etienne or La Spezia Better for Nightlife?

The vibe at night is notable in both Saint-Etienne and La Spezia.

If you're looking for night time activities Saint-Etienne has a few options to choose from. The nightlife is centered around sipping wine or visiting one of the clubs in town.

There's a variety of activities in the evening in La Spezia. You'll find more bars and clubs around town than you do in the smaller nearby towns. Some people head into La Spezia for the evening to grab a drink and socialize.

Is Saint-Etienne or La Spezia Better for Beaches?

La Spezia is a good destination for the beache. However, Saint-Etienne is not a beach destination.

La Spezia offers a nice beach destination. The beaches in the area tend to be rocky and pebbly. For the best beaches, head out of town to nearby areas.

Saint-Etienne is not a beach destination.

Is Saint-Etienne or La Spezia Better for its Old Town?

La Spezia is a good destination for its old town. However, Saint-Etienne does not have a historic old town.

Plenty of visitors enjoy exploring the old town in La Spezia. The old town runs between the streets of Corso Cavour and Via Prione and is best explored on foot.

Saint-Etienne does not have a historic old town.

Is Saint-Etienne or La Spezia Better for Hiking?

Saint-Etienne is a good destination for its hiking trails. However, La Spezia is not a hiking destination.

Saint-Etienne offers some nice hiking trails. You'll find several great hikes just outside of town. It's a great way to experience the surrounding countryside.

La Spezia is not a hiking destination.

Is the Shopping Better in Saint-Etienne or La Spezia?

La Spezia is a good destination for its shopping opportunities. However, Saint-Etienne is not a good destination for its shopping areas.

Shopping is a popular activity when visiting La Spezia. There's a morning market at Piazza del Mercato as well as many clothing and souvenir shops around town.

Saint-Etienne has some good spots for those that want to go shopping. Shopping malls and several boutique shopping areas make up the city's shopping scene.

Is Saint-Etienne or La Spezia Better for Families?

Both Saint-Etienne and La Spezia are notable family-friendly destinations.

Saint-Etienne offers lots of family activities. There are several kid-friendly museums as well as plenty of natural settings just outside of town. Your kids can run around and stretch their legs nearby at Crest of the Partridge or on a rainy day, the planetarium is a fun place to visit.

La Spezia is a family-friendly place to visit. Visitors often use La Spezia as a base for visiting nearby Cinque Terre. The surrounding region has many kid-friendly activities like hiking, swimming, and beaches.

Is Saint-Etienne or La Spezia Better for Couples?

La Spezia is great for its romantic activities. However, Saint-Etienne is not a good destination for couples.

La Spezia is a great town if you're traveling as a couple. It makes a nice base for visiting nearby sights if the more popular Cinque Terre area is too overwhelming.

Saint-Etienne is not always the best place to visit for a couple. There are museums, parks, gardens, and beautiful architecture that make this a wonderful place for couples.

Is Saint-Etienne or La Spezia Better for Backpackers and Budget Travelers?

La Spezia is great for backpackers and budget travelers. However, Saint-Etienne is not a good destination for backpackers.

Many backpackers visit La Spezia. It's more affordable than the nearby towns in Cinque Terre, but they're still easily accessible from town.

Saint-Etienne is a challenging destination for budget travelers and backpackers due to the higher prices. It's not high on the backpacker trail, but there are hostels and plenty of activities to enjoy.

Is Saint-Etienne or La Spezia Better for Public Transit? Which Is Easier to Get Around Without a Car?

Saint-Etienne and La Spezia both offer notable public transit to get you around.

While Saint-Etienne offers some public transit options, it might not be your first choice. There are tram and bus options available in town.

La Spezia has a few public transit options. Buses, trains, and ferry boats offer the main forms of transportation in the area.

Is Saint-Etienne or La Spezia a more walkable city?

La Spezia is great for its high level of walkability. Also, Saint-Etienne is not as popular, but is still a nice city for its ease of walking around.

La Spezia is a very walkable town. The town is easy to walk around and you'll find a pedestrian-only area downhill from the train station.

Saint-Etienne is a somewhat walkable city. There are several walkable areas in the city.

For even more information, also check out Is Saint-Etienne Worth Visiting? and Is La Spezia Worth Visiting?.

Should I spend more time in La Spezia or Saint-Etienne?

How long in Saint-Etienne or La Spezia?

Visitors can find plenty of fun things to do in both Saint-Etienne and La Spezia. With generally more activities and things to do, visitors tend to spend more time in La Spezia than in Saint-Etienne. Usually, 1-2 days is a good amount of time for Saint-Etienne, and 2-3 days is enough time in La Spezia.

Families should spend more time in La Spezia than Saint-Etienne. Because of the many family-friendly attractions and fun things to do for kids in La Spezia, it's a great place to visit with the whole family.

Couples should spend more time in La Spezia than Saint-Etienne. You'll find plenty of romantic sights and fun activities in La Spezia that are perfect for a weekend getaway or a longer couple's trip.

Backpackers and budget travelers should spend more time in La Spezia than Saint-Etienne if your budget allows for it. With a larger number of budget-friendly sights, good nightlife, and active things to do, anyone traveling on a budget would have a good time in La Spezia.

One day in Saint-Etienne or La Spezia?

You'll find nightlife and museums around the city of Saint-Etienne. One day is a great amount of time to relax and see the many things that Saint-Etienne has to offer. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do.

Many travelers enjoy the shopping and nightlife when visiting the lively destination of La Spezia. Your budget might influence how long you stay. Since there is so much to do in the area, one day is probably not enough for all of it.

A weekend in Saint-Etienne or La Spezia?

You'll find museums and nightlife around the undiscovered destination of Saint-Etienne. This is a popular place to visit for a weekend.A weekend should give you a good understanding of everything this city has to offer. This city offers a variety of activities to choose from.

It's hard to know how much time to spend in La Spezia. It has many unique tourist attractions and fascinating things to do. For many, it makes a great getaway for a weekend. A weekend is usually enough time to experience most activities.

Five days in Saint-Etienne or La Spezia?

Travelers enjoy the nightlife and museums when visiting the authentic city of Saint-Etienne. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision. Five days is plenty of time to see everything, even with extra days to spare.

Travelers enjoy the food and shopping when visiting the convenient destination of La Spezia. This town offers a variety of activities to choose from. Five days is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips.

A week in Saint-Etienne or La Spezia?

Saint-Etienne is a popular choice for travelers. One week is usually plenty of time to spend here with extra days to spare. With this much time, visitors often visit nearby destinations or take day trips. It will give you the chance to have new experiences.

You'll find shopping and nightlife around the town of La Spezia. One week is more than enough time to enjoy everything. Take some day trips to nearby places to fill the extra days. The length of your ideal trip is an individual decision.

For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best One-Week (7-Day) Tours from Paris, The Best 10-Day Tours from Paris, The Best Family-Friendly Tours to Italy, and The Best Hiking & Trekking Tours in Italy.

When we compare the travel costs of actual travelers between Saint-Etienne and La Spezia, we can see that La Spezia is more expensive. And not only is Saint-Etienne much less expensive, but it is actually a significantly cheaper destination. So, traveling to Saint-Etienne would let you spend less money overall. Or, you could decide to spend more money in Saint-Etienne and be able to afford a more luxurious travel style by staying in nicer hotels, eating at more expensive restaurants, taking tours, and experiencing more activities. The same level of travel in La Spezia would naturally cost you much more money, so you would probably want to keep your budget a little tighter in La Spezia than you might in Saint-Etienne.

If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Saint-Etienne Expensive? and Is La Spezia Expensive?.

Which is Bigger, Saint-Etienne or La Spezia?

Saint-Etienne has a larger population, and is about 93% larger than the population of La Spezia. When comparing the sizes of Saint-Etienne and La Spezia, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.